Members of the North Platte High School Boys’ and Girls’ tennis team traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska, to watch a University of Nebraska tennis meet on Sunday, April 17, 2016. The visit to Lincoln provided a unique experience for the students to learn. Senior Brennan Ricks said, “I learned that it takes patience to be where these athletes are at. I would say that Cornhusker tennis is really intense and they were really aggressive, but never gave up.” There is a major tactical difference between the high school and collegiate levels of tennis. Freshman Zerica Pelland said, “I learned to be more competitive. In college, they fight for every point and that makes a major difference in their matches.”
Often times during the match, you could hear the players encouraging each other from different courts. Head coach John Lehmer said, “Observing the way that the UNL players supported and cheered for their fellow players was an example to our players of how to build each other up. There was an immediate shift in the tone of our practices when we returned.” Lehmer hopes this energy will carry over to future matches.